UPDATE: Sorry for the delay! It is in fact a SPINY CHAYOTE SQUASH (or Mirliton if you hail from the south). This guy is no joke.
I have ever only eaten the smooth skinned chayote because, well because look at that thing! I don't even want to think about trying to get around those needles to get to the edible part. For those of you out there who have tried one of these spiky guys, what is the best way to clean them and is the flavor different/better (i.e. worth the effort and possible flesh wounds) than the smooth skinned variety?
It's time once again to play WTF (what's that food)?
Perhaps you have seen this, maybe you haven't. I've been surprised in the past!
Yes—those are ridiculously sharp spines all over the outside of that guy. For reference, it is roughly the size of a baseball. Who can tell me what it is?
From: Claudia | 11/30/10 at 11:47 am
Is it a chayote?
From: Courtney | 11/30/10 at 12:22 pm
Is it is type of cucumber?
From: joanne | 11/30/10 at 12:38 pm
It's a chayote.
From: nossi | 11/30/10 at 12:50 pm
a kiwi?
From: Sami | 11/30/10 at 12:49 pm
Looks like some type of guava.
From: Alice | 11/30/10 at 1:21 pm
It's a chayote.
From: Lauren | 11/30/10 at 1:22 pm
Kumquat?
From: Carolyn | 11/30/10 at 2:50 pm
A Choko?
From: mindy | 11/30/10 at 3:00 pm
Large goose berries perhaps?
From: Margaret C. | 11/30/10 at 4:03 pm
green rambutans?
From: Heidi | 11/30/10 at 4:24 pm
Spiny Chayote
From: Sara Enos | 11/30/10 at 6:04 pm
It's a militon!!
From: rhoda | 11/30/10 at 7:33 pm
a chayote. now are you going to give us a recipe for it too?
From: April | 11/30/10 at 10:07 pm
An Almond?
From: Lu | 11/30/10 at 11:34 pm
It's a thorny chayote, they are sweet and delicious.
From: Eva | 12/1/10 at 12:19 pm
Chestnuts fresh off the tree?